Kevin Hart Shines as Arnold in Diff'rent Strokes Live in Front of a Studio Audience

By Charlie Ridgely

On Tuesday night, ABC brought together some of the biggest stars of our time to recreate a couple of the most memorable sitcoms of the past. The newest edition on Live in Front of a Studio Audience gave fresh life to episodes of both Diff'rent Strokes and its long-running spinoff series, The Facts of Life. There was a lot for TV fans to love in this special, but quite a few viewers are especially enamored with Kevin Hart's take on an absolutely iconic sitcom character.

Hart played Arnold in the Diff'rent Strokes episode, taking over the role made famous by the late Gary Coleman. In Diff'rent Strokes, Arnold is the youngest child in the family, and Coleman originated the role when he was just 10 years old. The 42-year-old Hart is known to have a ton of energy, and his portrayal of a child was exactly what folks expected when his casting was first announced.

The moment that really got most fans talking is the scene in which Phillip picks Arnold up and holds him in his lap. John Lithgow, playing Phillip in the special, did exactly what the script called for, picking Hart up and cradling him like a child.

TV fans quickly took to Twitter to share their thoughts and reactions to Hart's performance. You can see a few of those reactions below.

Perfect Casting

Legend

Crying

Hollering

Committed

Love

Hilarious

Cracking Up

No One Better

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